What's Wrong With Timmy? Book

This book is about befriending a child with a disability from the perspective of a little girl. The narrator, Kate, hesitantly befriends Timmy, who has a developmental disability, after her mother explains that he is a lot more like her than she thinks. After Kate begins to talk and play with Timmy, she realizes how good of a person he is and feels foolish that she ever looked down on him.

The author, Maria Shriver, addresses a child's familiar reaction to people with disabilities (ex. "What's wrong with Timmy?") and presents that children with disabilities want the same things as children without disabilities, such as friendship and acceptance. Although Maria Shriver does not have a disability, I appreciate that she has a personal connection to those with special needs (her parents were involved in the Special Olympics). The illustrator, Sandra Speidel, compliments this heartwarming story with her simple, painted illustrations.

As a teacher, I would use this story to teach the importance of acceptance and that every child is unique. Also, I would use this book to expose my students to developmental disabilities and explain that although some children may have different qualities than others, it does not mean that there is something "wrong" with them.